Golf Ball Cleaning Machine with the Support of Valves

Automated Ball Washing and Transportation

Maintaining a large inventory of golf balls in pristine condition is essential for any golf driving range. Traditionally, cleaning golf balls involved manual labour, where staff members would collect the used balls, then clean them individually and return them manually back to the dispenser.

However, with this automated ball washing system, the process has been revolutionized. The automated ball cleaning and transport system automates the tasks of ball washing and transporting the balls back to the dispenser.

Valve for Golf Ball Cleaning System Application Details

To maximise efficiency, the balls are washed during the transportation process back to the dispenser. During this process water is introduced into the transportation pipe as part of the pre-soaking process, where a Pinch Valve seals the water inside the pipe during a cycle. The balls are then passed through a brush wash unit, for thorough cleaning.

The balls travel back to the dispenser via the transportation pipe, which uses a vacuum running under negative pressure to funnel the balls through the system until they reach the final receiver, which then dispatches the balls into the dispenser ready for use again.

The purpose of the Pinch Valve is to make the unit water tight during the cleaning process.

Muddy water passes through the valves for golf ball cleaning, and by the time the water reaches them it is only gravity fed. Currently, 7-8 BAR air pressure on a solenoid valve to operate the valves. However, since AKO Pinch Valves only need 2 – 2.5 BAR above the line pressure to close, and since the working pressure is only gravity feed, then only the minimum required air pressure is required to close the valves (2 – 2.5 BAR). AKO UK advised the OEM of this, which will make the rubber sleeves inside the Pinch Valves last even longer.

Pinch Valves used within this application – VMP015.03XK.72 & VMP040.03X.72

VMP model, air operated, POM body, POM BSP internal thread end connections, natural rubber sleeve.

Pinch Valves see extremely low wear in this application

Since the media passing through the valve is only water at ambient temperature (slightly soiled from any dirt contaminating the balls), the Pinch Valve is seeing very little wear. The Original Equipment Manufacturer have stated that they have never had to replace a valve or rubber sleeve on any of their systems due to failures, and have been utilising Pinch Valves from AKO UK on this system for many years.